New Beginnings
by Cherabby
Summary: A collection various one-shots and drabbles, centering around different characters, games, and shippings. Chapters will vary in genre: Romance, nuzlocke, friendship, etc. Always open to suggestions and ideas for later chapters.
1. New Beginnings

_So, this is now a collection of my drabbles and one shots because it would be much easier to keep them piled up in one instead of having a million on my page. _

_**Disclaimer: **...Guess who doesn't own pokemon? That's it, me!  
_

* * *

_**Five**_

Six hands linked together and four feet stepped from a beaten dirt path to fresh green grass.

Touko felt her breath catch. Somehow, even though they were barely a step out of Nuvema, she felt… free. The corners of her lips twitched upwards in a smile. Her twin caught her eye and grinned a bit.

"So we're finally starting our own adventures," Touya laughed.

"I'm so excited!" Bianca cheered, breaking away from the chain and skipping further onto Route One. "I wonder what's gonna happen!"

Even Cheren, who rarely got caught up in his friend's cheer, found himself smiling.

"Here's to a new beginning," Touko mumbled, taking another step into the grass. "And come what may."

_**Four**_

"So over the course of one day," Hikari began, shuffling down the ice-covered road towards Jubilife, "I've been dragged to a lake, attacked by wild pokémon, and had to use someone else's pokémon in self defense. Then I was i_given/i_ that pokémon and practically forced into going on a journey in the dead of winter."

Koki's laughter was met with a glare from his sister.

"i_It's not funny!/i" _She protested, elbowing the boy in the side.

"I know, I know! It's just," he paused and gave Hikari and smirk, "It sounds to me like the beginning of an amazing story."

Hikari scowled at her elder brother. "What're you talking about, an 'amazing story'? What chance is there that I'm going to do i_anything/i _amazing?"

Koki shrugged, staring at the star-dotted sky with an almost wistful gaze. "You never know, sis."

_**Three**_

Haruka pulled her knees to her chest, trying to make a decision.

"I'm just not sure that I can," she sighed.

"Why?" Yuki asked, leaning back against the ledge Haruka was perched on.

"It's so far. It would be hard. I just want to stay at home. I learn better from books than I do from experience, anyway. It's just too much of a risk."

Yuki glanced up and arched an eyebrow at her. "That's why it's called an adventure, isn't it?"

_**Two**_

Hibiki stuffed his hands into his pockets, glaring ahead at Kris.

"Listen for a second," He huffed. The blue-haired girl paused and, after a moment's hesitation, turned around. "You're totally welcome to hate me, but I know you don't hate Kotone."

Kris simply stared at him. "So? Where are you going with this?"

"So, she's our friend, even if we don't like each other. And I think, for the sake of our friend, we should try to get along," he held out a hand, "What do you say? Can we at least work as a team?"

Kris considered it for a moment, and then shook his outstretched hand. "Fine. A team it is."

A grin crossed Hibiki's face. "Great. Let's go catch up with Kotone; this is where the real journey starts!"

_**One**_

Red pulled off his cap, letting the wind blow through his hair. Everything seemed so much brighter; the grass was greener, the sky more blue. Nothing could compare to this moment.

He felt _free._

He took a few more steps down the well-worn path, leaving Pallet behind him. Finally, after so much waiting and hoping, he was finally starting the journey of a lifetime.

_Here's to a new beginning, _he thought, a smile spreading across his face. _And come what may._


	2. I Swear

_Centered around Hibiki/Ethan/Gold and Haruka/May. Using the Japanese names because I, personally, prefer them to the English ones. Headcanons ahoy!_

_**Disclaimer: **Heh. You actually expect a disclaimer.  
_

* * *

Hibiki loves when it rains; everything is more fun when there were puddles to jump in. The second a storm stops, the eight-year-old rushes outside and go stomp around in the mud.

Today is no exception, even if it is seven in the morning; he laughs, hopping around in the water and making noise. He shouts loud enough to wake the dead-and it certainly wakes _someone_.

Haruka yawns and peeks out her window, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Outside, she sees a boy-one from her class, she's sure-jumping around in the mud. He looks up, just for a second. Gold eyes meet blue ones, and he grins. Haruka doesn't know if she should be mad at him or smile back.

"Wanna come play?" He shouts, his voice sounding odd and muffled through the glass between them. Haruka sat still for a moment, trying to decide. Mommy and Daddy would probably get mad if she went outside without permission.

But it looked so _fun._

Finally, she pulled a coat on and darted outside.

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At eleven years old, Haruka is a bookworm. She prefers printed pages to human company. Not that she has anything against people-the books are just more interesting. The only exception is her best friend Hibiki, who'll have nothing to do with her boring old books.

"Haruuuukaaaaaa," He moans, "Stop reading! I'm _boooored_!"

The brunette, happily absorbed by the words, barely notices him. Hibiki's only response is to pout and poke her until she finally stops.

Of course, he gets bored of that quickly and just pulls the book from her hands.

"H-hey!" She protests, "Give it back! Hibiki, that's mean!"

"No way!" Hibiki laughs, tossing the book over his shoulder. He blocks Haruka from going to get it and says, "C'mon, let's go play a game or something! You and your books are _really_ boring; I wanna do something fun! Maybe Kotone will play with us!"

Haruka tries to argue, but just shuts her mouth and gives him a pout. "Fine…"

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The friends have a tradition: the first day of summer, they go to the beach in Cherrygrove and spend the day there. At the age fourteen, it's still going strong. They laugh about how boring their teachers were and how happy they are to get a break, splashing around in the surf.

"Ice cream is better than books, isn't it, Haruka?" Hibiki teases, handing her a dripping chocolate cone.

"You're a jerk," She pouts. Hibiki just laughs through a mouthful of vanilla.

"Hey, you know what? We should start our own pokémon journeys this summer!"

Haruka gives him a doubtful glance. "You've said that a billion times."

"I'm serious this time!" He cries, "Really! I mean, we could go talk to the prof. tomorrow or something! It'd be totally awesome! And, of course, I would win a lot and become the champion. We could go beat all the gyms and travel around Johto! Now _that's_ a summer!"

"I-I don't know…" Haruka stares halfheartedly at her ice cream cone as if the very conversation made her loose her appetite, "It would be hard, wouldn't it? I mean… there's too much stuff out there. I dunno if I'd be able to-"

"What? Aw, c'mon! You like learning stuff, don't you? Think of what you could learn from this! Like…" He paused, his brow furrowing as he tried to come up with something, "Well, you could learn from it. And you know I could!"

"I learn better from books," She argued weakly, "I-it's dangerous-"

"That's why it's an _adventure,_ isn't it?" Hibiki cocked his eyebrows at her. "_Please_, Haruka? It would be the chance of a lifetime!"

Haruka hesitated the longest time before answering. "Fine…"

"Then promise!" Hibiki ordered.

"Fine! I promise-"

"No, not good enough! Repeat after me! '_I, Haruka Sapphire, solemnly swear that I'll go on my pokémon journey this summer'"_

"Hibiki…" She began, then sighed, "Fine. I, Haruka Sapphire, solemnly swear that I'll go on my pokémon journey this summer."

"Perfect!" Hibiki laughed, "Shall we toast on it?" He waved his half-melted ice cream cone in the air. Haruka laughed and tapped her cone against his.

"We'll go tomorrow, then!"

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Early the next morning, Hibiki arrives at his best friends' house. A tear-stained, puffy-eyed Haruka opens the door. When he asks her what the matter is, she wraps him in a giant hug and begins sobbing. It takes several minutes for him to figure out that her parents announced last night that they're moving.

"Haruka, it's not that big of a deal. I mean, you're staying in the region, right?" He starts worrying when he sees her expression. "H-Haruka, you are staying in Johto, right? N-no? Well, where are you moving? Kanto? Right? That's not very far, so-"

"H-Hoenn," She chokes.

"_What?_ When are you leaving?"

"A week…" Haruka sniffs and wipes her eyes, trying to regain her composure. Hibiki, on the other hand, is starting to lose his. "W-we already started packing…"

"No way! This ruins our plans! Haruka, please, you _swore_! You can't move that far away! Y-you-" He cuts himself off in frustration, burring his face in his arms.

"I'm sorry, Hibiki…"

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The friends sit on Haruka's porch, watching sadly as the moving van was loaded up.

"Haruka, you're still going on your journey this summer, right?" Hibiki asks suddenly, spinning on the brunette.

"W-what?" She sputters, "Don't you think it's a little late for that? Besides, I… I couldn't do it alone-"

"_No! You have to!"_ Hibiki cried, "I figured out how we can hang out a lot, even if you are moving to Hoenn. Plus, you swore!"

"I _know _I swore, but I can't!"

"Yeah you can! Haruka, you've gotta try to become the champion in Hoenn; I'm gonna go for the championship here in Johto. If we're both champions, we can keep in touch and everything-I mean, we'll even _have to,_ 'cause, you know, we'll be the champs! Please!"

"Haruka, it's time to get going!" Haruka rises to her feet at her mother's call, head hung dejectedly.

Hibiki looks up at her with a pleading gaze for one last time. "_Please?"_

"I-I'll try…"

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"So, you're the new girl around, right?"

Haruka ignores the boy's question and pulls her book closer towards her face. He frowns and tries again.

"You're the new professor's daughter, right? What's your name? I'm Yuki."

She turns away, trying to tune him out like she usually (accidentally) did with Hibiki.

"…Are you mute or something?"

"I can talk," Haruka mumbles, "I just don't want to."

"Then what's your name? We _are _neighbors now, so I should probably learn who you are."

"Haruka," She huffs.

"You're the professor's kid, so are you a trainer?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious," Yuki shrugs, "Not to pry. We're just going to have to see a lot of each other, you know. Littleroot isn't very big."

"Then I'm not."

"Why?"

"Please stop asking questions."

"Well, just answer this one."

"Because I don't want to be. I don't want a pokémon. I don't want to go on a journey. It's too risky, I couldn't do it."

Yuki arches an eyebrow-though she can't see it-and crosses his arms.

"That's why it's an adventure, isn't it?"

Haruka feels her breath catch at the all-too-familiar line. Shakily, she closes her book.

"…I guess I did swear."

"Huh?"

"It's… it's nothing. Maybe you're right... I should try."

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Hibiki begins his journey just days after Haruka leaves. Kotone, another childhood friend of his-though not as close as Haruka was-accompanies him, along with her friend Kris.

He, honestly, expects very little of what actually happens. Over the course of the next few months, we finds himself chasing a thief, meeting the current Johto Champion, going head-to-head with a recreated Team Rocket, and even encountering a legendary-all with the help of the two girls, of course. When he reaches his goal of the championship, he realizes that it was, by no means, what he'd guessed it would be; in fact, it was better.

He has to wish Haruka could've come along.

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Haruka begins her journey just days after her conversation with Yuki. In the beginning, her sole motivation is her promise; she told Hibiki she would try, so she will.

Later on, though, her motivation changes; she begins to love the challenge of her journey, the seemingly endless places to visit, the pokémon that accompany her. It shifts again when she faces the threat of Team Aqua and Magma and becomes tangled in their plots. Near the end of summer, she defeats them once and for all, even going toe-to-toe with a legendary. Afterwards, the championship comes easily for her.

Once she wins, she remembers why she started out in the first place.

All she can hope is that Hibiki succeeded and that she can thank him soon.

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"Are you completely sure it's actually Hibiki?" Haruka asks again, pacing around on the dock, "And not someone with the same name-"

"That just so happens to be the champion and fit your description of him perfectly? Yes, I'm sure." Yuki rolls his eyes.

"I just want to be sure!"

"Well, you'll be sure once he gets off the boat," Yuki nods out towards the ocean and Haruka spins, watching a boat roll in.

Once it docks and passengers begin getting off, she scans through the crowd, keeping an eye out for her childhood friend. Finally, she spotted the unruly-haired boy step onto the dock and bounded towards him.

"Hibiki!" She cries, throwing her arms around him, "Hibiki, I did it! Thank you, thank you!"

The young champion laughs, returning her hug.

"I knew you would! After all, you swore, didn't you?"


	3. One Year

_...I should apologize now for what you're about to read. It's depressing... orz_

_Centered around Haruka/May and Wally; NewRivalShipping. _

_**Disclaimer: **...must I? Blah blah, no own pokemon, blah blah. There, happy?_

* * *

Wally leans back on his bed, watching sunlight filter through his wonder. Outside it's a flawless day-warm, sunny, and filled with life. It's ironic that such a day would be when he learned he'd die.

He wonders how it even happened; he'd only gone to the hospital because he'd over-exerted himself again, hadn't he? But a simple visit had turned into an overnight stay leading to the worst news of his life. One year life. Three hundred and sixty-five days, give or take. It was an odd feeling, being away that his days were numbered.

What to do with the time he had, though? Wally wonders this in silence. What _could _he do? Anything, really. What _should_he do? As he ponders, a tap on the door breaks the silence, snapping him back to reality.

"Wally?" Haruka's voice floats through the air. "You in there?"

He can't help but smile-despite the cloud of gloom looming over him-at the sound of her voice, the cheer and innocence in it that matches her perfectly. He rises and opens of the door, meeting her bright grin with a faded one of his own.

"You're okay, right?" She asks, wrapping him in a hug. "I'm so sorry about what happened yesterday! I didn't know it would be that hard on you."

It occurs to Wally that she doesn't know anything about his time left yet. For a moment, he considers telling her. Some part of him just tells him it would only hurt her, and he couldn't stand to see that, so he disregards the thought.

"I'll be fine," he lies, returning her hug. In the same moment, he decides that he wants to spend as much of his time with her as possible, just so he can see that smiling face.

If only because he's sure it'll make the remainder of his life bearable.

...

Haruka has no idea that her days left with Wally are so few, but she still agrees to spend her free time with him.

Spring brings more rainy days than either of them care to count; hours upon hours are spent inside, wrapped in blankets and talking about whatever might come to mind. In this timeframe, Wally learns that Haruka is an exquisite storyteller. She's able to craft fantasies using nothing but her own imagination. It takes Wally a while to convince the shy girl to tell him a few of them, but it was worth it. She strings words together perfectly, and he gets to listen to that voice of her's he loves so much.

Haruka learns that Wally is an artist of incomparable talent. He explains that, with all the time his parents made him spend confined to a bed, he'd needed something to keep himself occupied. He shows her his sketchbooks, filled with drawings that look as if they could jump off the page at any moment. He teachers her how to do the same, guiding her hand to create thin, swooping lines that all add up to form an image.

Every evening after she leaves, he crosses a day off a calendar. Spring comes to an end and a quarter of his year is gone.

...

Summer rolls around, bringing bright sun and blazing heat. The second Haruka learns that Wally's never truly visited the beach before, she insists that they both go; not long after, the go regularly.

Neither of them ever ventures far into the water. Instead, they sit along the shore and let the surf wash them, laughing and watching the sun slide across the sky. As much as he loves her voice, he cherishes the silence when they sit together at the beach just as much, their hands linked, her head resting on his arm. There's something about the serenity that makes everything feel complete.

But summer passes by much too quickly for the both of them, and soon half of Wally's calendar has been 'X'ed out.

...

The leaves begin to change hues of gold, red, orange, and brown as autumn arrives. The cool weather is perfect for picnicking and the find themselves going off into the outdoors often.

Over lunch, Haruka tells him about how he inspired her to write her own novel-he knows that it's become a dream of her's, and he wishes wholeheartedly that he'll be able to see the final product, but he doubts it'll happen; after all, she says she wants it to be their story, and if it really is going to be just that, he won't be around for the ending. But he smiles and wishes her luck and promises her that he'll draw a cover for it when she's finished.

That evening, he sits alone and realizes that so much of his time is already gone and Haruka still doesn't have a clue. What will she do once he's gone? He knows that he can't just leave her without any explanation, so he begins writing something himself: a note for her to find once he's gone. It takes him several tries-because he can't bring himself to give her anything less than the best-but as three-fourths of his final year comes to an end, he finally finishes it.

...

Joy, snow, and a holiday season come along with winter. Wally's Christmas present for Haruka is a drawing-or, more of a sketch, really-of the two of them in the summertime, sitting on the beach with smiles on their faces; Haruka's gift to him is a lesson on how to enjoy the cold weather. Though the icy air makes it hard for him to breathe, he puts up with it just to join her in rolling up snow to create little sculptures. They don't last long, though, and they melt away with those remaining few days on Wally's calendar.

He finds himself drawing her more and more when she's gone, enough to fill his entire sketchbook-and he does. As the last of his three hundred-some days trickle away, he makes sure to leave it out with the note where she'll be able to find it when his time comes.

...

Early in the springtime, on a bright, beautiful day they both would have loved, completely filled with life, Wally dies.

Haruka looses it when she finds out; she can't seem to make the tears stop, her motivation to do anything is lost. So many questions fill her head, and she wished that he was still around to answer it.

On a whim, she forces herself to visit his home one day as spring begins to come to a close. Whatever part of her heart that wasn't broken yet shattered as she entered; she wanders the empty place, running her fingers across the walls as if it would bring some part of him to her.

She nearly misses the note and sketchbook, laid neatly on the table. Part of her is afraid to read it, knowing that it would only crush her further, so she sets it aside and dives into the sketchbook first. The drawings inside make her heart skip a beat; is this really how he saw her? Every last drawing was so beautiful, so flawless, that she had to put it down to keep herself from crying. Her urge to read the note is even stronger now, so she unfolds it with shaking hands and reads it to herself. Tears find their way down her face as her eyes travel over the letters. The final three words-words that, even with all her skill, she had never been able to say to him-sent a pang through her.

"W-wally…" She murmurs, holding onto the note as if it were him, "Oh… god… I love you, too."


	4. I'm Sorry

_What's up with everything so far having game!Haruka/May in it? _

_Based upon one of my many early Nuzlocke fails in Emerald. _

_I find this one to be most effective when listening to a song such as "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift while you're reading it. It just completes the feel. That's just the author's opinion, though, feel free to pay no mind to it._

_**Disclaimer: **I like trains. Wait, what do you mean that's not a disclaimer?_

* * *

Haruka let out a soft laugh, dipping her feet into the pond. The cool water was something of a blessing after the hours of traveling. Azul dove into the water in a heartbeat, sending waves across the surface. Haruka was half tempted to fish him out; anything could be waiting to strike. Still, she couldn't help but feel like they both needed a rest after everything that'd happened recently.

_And I need to decide what to do with Nico and Vaysh, _she thought, her throat tightening at the names of her lost pokémon. Hesitantly, she pulled the two pokéballs from the bag strapped around her waist. Both were smeared with long-dry blood. She hadn't gotten the chance to bury them yet, but now seemed a good a time as any.

_This place is so nice, though. I don't want to ruin it._ Haruka argued with herself, turning the pokéballs over in her hand. _Not to mention that these are sorry excuses for coffins. _She let out a halfhearted sigh and set the balls aside. _I just need to rest a while. I'll decide later._

Azul slipped out of the water and climbed onto Haruka's lap, staring up at her sympathetically. She wished she could understand the mudkip's cries; a few comforting words would be welcome right now. She simply stroked her pokémon's back and mumbled, "We'll make it, Azul. You and I. We'll find more partners. Find somewhere safe to stay. We'll be fine."

Her mudkip merely replied with another sad cry and curled into a tight ball. Haruka felt a halfhearted smile twitch at her lips. _We can do it._

She felt her eyelids drooping. It _had _been a while since she'd gotten real sleep. Just a little sleep couldn't hurt…

She closed her eyes and leaned back on the soft grass, her mind drifting into a dreamy haze.

The sound of growls and barks snapped Haruka back to reality. She immediately noticed that Azul was no longer curled up on her lap. Her eyes flew open and she jolted upright, searching for her partner.

Finding him brought her no relief. Azul was on the other side of the pond, several meters away. The little mudkip was surrounded by four or five poochyenna, all of them snarling at him.

"Azul!" Haruka screamed, pushing herself to her feet. "Try to fight them off!"

She had no idea if her pokémon had heard her or not, but he did fight back. Everything was a blur of fur, teeth, mud, and water. Azul was obviously outmatched; though he could manage to keep the poochyenna away for a while, there wasn't much of a chance for him. Haruka let out another scream and charged into the water, trying desperately to reach her partner.

By the time she'd reached the other shore, the pack had retreated back into the forest. Azul lay on the ground, red pooling around his tiny blue body. Her screams turned into choked sobs as she collapsed onto the bank of the pond.

"_Azul, hold on!_" She cried, tears blurring her vision. She pulled the mudkip into her arms, ignoring the blood that spilled onto her. No breathing, no pulse. Just like that, her partner was gone.

"No, no, no," Haruka sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Azul, _no_. Please. L-let this be a nightmare."

By the time Haruka found the energy to stand, the sun had begun to sink, giving the sky a red hue.

_Blood red,_ she noted bitterly as she carried Azul back around to the other side of the pond. Her arms shook as she laid him down next to the two pokéballs containing her other fallen pokémon. She fished the mudkip's pokéball from her bag and recalled Azul into it. Tears filled her eyes again as she rest all three balls in a straight line.

"N-Nico, Vaysh, a-and Azul," She muttered, every name bringing a whole new wave of regret. She ran her hand over the pokéballs, wishing there was some way to revive them. "I-I'm sorry… _sorry."_ Somehow that felt like such a hollow word. It couldn't possibly cover what she really meant.

"_I'm sorry._" She repeated, crumpling into a ball. Maybe if she just kept repeating herself, it would mean _something. _

"_I'm sorry._ P-please…" Her voice was hardly a whisper, "_Please _forgive me_._"

"…_G-goodbye."_


	5. Traitor

_Just read it. I'll explain further when ya' get to the bottom. Lucas/Kouki and Dawn/Hikari centered. AU-ish._

_**Disclaimer: **When you finish this, you'll probably be glad I don't own pokemon._

* * *

"K-Kouki…? It… it was _you?_"

Hikari gaped at her brother; he leaned nonchalantly against the desk at the far side of the room, dressed in variation of the Galactic uniform that seemed to imply power. A cruel, half-smirk appeared on his lips at his sister's stammering.

"If you mean it was I who was behind this whole operation, then yes," He strode forward, an unnatural air of confidence about him, "It _was _me. I'm shocked you didn't realize it sooner."

"Y-you… no, you can't be," Hikari murmured. It didn't add up. He'd been attacked by Galactic members-more than once. He hated them. He couldn't be, it just wasn't possible. Still, Kouki's smirk only grew.

"Still in disbelief, little sister?" The tone of amusement in his voice mixed with cruelty, which unsettled Hikari even further. "Since you seem to be so interested in Team Galactic's affairs, I suppose I'll explain. Our-no, _my_ goal is to create a new world, one that's perfect. I'll eliminate emotion and spirit, ending all the strife in the world: War, violence, famine. _And they'll worship me as a god_."

"Are you insane?" Hikari breathed, backing away from her elder brother, "How could you…?"

"How could I?" Kouki scoffed, the sick grin dropping from his face, "I'm not the innocent person you seem to think I am. Haven't you figured it out? Everything has been a ploy. Convenient lies to keep anyone from discovering my plan until I was ready to put it into action. And you honestly thought I was your sweet older brother." He snickered, "All of it was part of my flawless plan."

Hikari found it impossible to accept that this monster was her brother; it couldn't be real, yet here he was. She felt almost nauseated by the idea. What was worse was that Kouki used this to his advantage; he kept forcing the thought upon her, messing with her image of him and confusing her further. Still, brother or not, he was still the enemy. She had to do her best to shake off the thought and counter him.

"_Flawless?_" She spat, trying to keep her voice even-and failing, "It's not flawless if I can stop you. Y-you traitor. I'll beat you here and now."

A surge of irritation shot through Kouki, but he just barely managed to keep his composure. "Stupid girl. I can't be a traitor-what I'm doing is for the good of everyone, not only myself. But if you're so determined to stop history, then I'll have to get you out of the way. Let's see how you compare to big brother, hm?"

Hikari's hand shook as she reached for a pokéball; she still wasn't entirely able to handle this. By the time she'd managed to draw one from her bag, her brother had already sent out his torterra.

"Do whatever you have to, just keep her from fighting back," Kouki ordered leisurely, almost as if he didn't care enough to put fourth full effort. "Vine whip should do."

She had no time to react; the vines shot forth, flicked the pokéball from her hand, and wrapped around her neck. They began slowly tightening, cutting off her air and sending waves of pain through her. Hikari let out a choked stream of profanity, trying to pull the vines away and allow some oxygen to reach her lungs. A cold laugh escaped Kouki.

"Struggling will only make it quicker, you know," He informed her, watching with little interest, "Oh, and-" his voice shifted from cruel to the one she'd recognized for years, filled with optimism, "Say 'hello' to our dad on the other side for me, will you? Now, finish her off."

Only a hiss of air escaped Hikari in response, but her mouth formed the word 'traitor' once again. The vines wrapped around her neck tightened once again, fully cutting off her air. It took mere seconds for her to go limp. Kouki's eyes narrowed while his grin grew.

"This is what you get, dear sister, when you challenge a god."

* * *

_Has your mind been fucked yet? _

_This idea came to me during a Diamond Nuzlocke. I just thought, "HOLY CRAP WHAT IF LUCAS WAS EVIL?" And... this was born. Well, at least I didn't kill _him _this time. Though I did turn him into Kira..._


	6. The Next Best Thing

_I've gone to the dark side. I don't normally support DualRivalShipping, but... Well, here ya' go. Bianca and Cheren. Post-Black/White, pre-BW2. (Really minor references to my three-shot "Twin Heroes")_

_**Disclaimer: **I don't own pokemon. Simple as that._

* * *

"_So, since we're all parting ways," Touya said wistfully, his gaze flicking over his friends, "I guess it's time to say our goodbyes, isn't it?"_

_Three nods came from his companions; almost instinctively, both of the twins turned to their respective others._

"…_Goodbye. That has a sense of finality to it, doesn't it?" Cheren mused, avoiding his old friend's gaze. Touko stuck her tongue out at him and lifted her hands to his face, guiding his head until their eyes met._

"_Then it's 'farewell', not goodbye, because I'll make sure I see you again," The brunette laughed softly. She pushed his glasses up further on the bridge of his nose and planted a kiss on his mouth, making his face turn a bright shade of pink._

"_Touya, please, please don't get hurt!" Bianca cried, practically knocking her boyfriend over as she wrapped her arms around him. "If you're really gonna go searching for someone who nearly killed you, then you have to make sure you come back!"_

_Touya said nothing, simply smiling down at her with an almost pained expression and returning the hug._

_The rest of them said their farewells and, not without a few tears, the group dissolved one by one, each of the trainers taking a different route to their destination./i_

Cheren rubbed his forehead, trying to brush the memory out of his mind. Rarely did a day pass without some kind of reminder of his missing friends, and today was, by far, the harshest-he'd seen Bianca for the first time in almost two years.

She'd been going on about some kids that barely beat him in a gym battle, saying that they could find the twins and some other nonsense; he'd said she was ridiculous for thinking something like that and Touko and Touya were long gone-whatever happened to them, he didn't know, nor did he want to-if it made them drop completely off the face of the Earth for two years, it wouldn't be pleasant to find out.

Of course, saying those things didn't fix the hollowness he'd been feeling since Touko vanished.

A quick flash of orange, green, and blonde around the corner made him pause; Bianca darted out, skidding to a halt and quite nearly crashing into him.

"Cheren, there you are!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands together. Apparently their earlier disagreement had been forgotten, if her cheer was anything to judge by. Whatever she said next was completely tuned out by Cheren, though, since he was lost in thought.

_I don't know why, but its different being around Bianca,_ he mused inwardly. _As much as we've changed, it almost feels like old times._

The realization struck him like a bat. Sure, Bianca certainly wasn't Touko-one a Professor's assistant, the other a champion; still, they both held that familiarity that Cheren couldn't help but want-she was his 'next to best'.

"Cheren, are you listening?" Bianca pouted, snapping her fingers in front of his face. He opened his mouth, half-ready to insult her, but stopped himself. She crossed her arms over her chest, adding, "What're you so busy thinking about? Jeeze, Chere, you're just like me today!"

"Bianca…" Cheren began, but just trailed off, shaking his head. How to explain? She gave him a puzzled expression.

"…what?"

"I… I just don't think we're going to find the twins, alright?" He mumbled.

"_Again? _ You can't just give up!"

"That's not what I meant-I just…" Cheren clenched his eyes shut, trying to get the right words out. He took a deep breath and returned his gaze to Bianca. Without thinking, his hand moved to push her glasses further up the bridge of her nose and he leaned in, lips brushing her cheek. Bianca's face turned a bright pink.

"C-Cheren!" She yelped like she'd just been hit, "Y-you… _what about Touko?_"

"Like I said, I don't think we're going to find them," he shoved his hands into his pockets to prevent himself from doing anything else rash, "Bianca, you're no Touko and I'm not Touya, but… they're both missing and we're both here."

"I don't care if they're missing or not!" Bianca protested, her face now glowing red, "It's like we're betraying them! I-I mean, it's not like you're not… oh, I don't even know! Chere, we _can't!"_

"I guessed about as much," He huffed, dropping her gaze, "But…" now it was Cheren's turn to blush, "I… I just need you right now, and I think you'll need me, too, when you come to terms with the reality that they're gone. I don't want them to be, but they are, and we're both familiar to each other-it's the closest we'll get to being with them again."

"Then we'll find them," Bianca announced with more confidence than he'd ever heard from her, "But we can't just go and betray them like that! I _know_ they're alive, and I know we'll find them!"

"And if they're not?"

"…then you're right; we'll need each other more than ever."


	7. Photograph

_Oh Silver. You tsundere. WE LOVE YOU~ Although, I have to say, I'm not overly fond of the ending of this one. But it's how I posted it on DA, so it's how I will post it here. Silver-centered. _

_**Disclaimer:** Would someone who owned pokemon be on a oneshot uploading spree? (IF YOU SAID YES I WILL BRICK YOU TO DEATH.)_

* * *

Snowflakes spiraled to the ground, coating the streets in a thin layer of white. A path of footprints in the drifts lead down the road to the front of a long-abandoned house.

Silver pulled his collar above his face, trying to block out the cold. He stared down the door.

_Dammit,_ he cursed at himself, _why can't you just open it? Wimp. It's just a house._

Just a house. His scowl deepened at the thought. Of course it wasn't _just a house._He'd grown up in this worthless place. The last thing he wanted was to go back to the place he'd worked so hard to get away from.

His eyes fell on the road behind him; the snow had already started become heavy. He was cold enough already, walking anywhere at this point would be a pain.

Silver cussed under his breath. Why did he even have to consider this place? Still, it was too late. He began working away at the locked door, not worrying about any possible alarms-they all would've stopped working after five years, anyway. Finally the door swung open and he stepped inside.

He didn't doubt no one had entered this place in the past few years. A thick layer of dust coated everything, and the house itself was barely any warmer than it was outside. _Cold and empty. No different than it was back then._

The redhead shuffled further into the house, staring down at his own feet to avoid any memories associated with this or that. The _last_thing he wanted was to remember anything from when he lived here. This house had been the equivalent of hell. As long as he didn't bother looking around too much, it wasn't a problem. Just don't look up. Don't-

Too late. It took just a quick glance at the wall for him to lock on a photograph hanging there. The dust covering the frame obscured the picture a bit, but it what it was of was plain to see: in the frame was Silver himself, about seven or eight years. Silver's hands clenched into fists. Next to him in the photograph was his mother. Next his mother, _that man._

Rage overcame him and he smashed his fist against the picture, right over his father's face. The glass of the frame cracked and pain shot into his hand. He pulled himself away from the picture, pure hatred engulfing his mind. He wasn't-couldn't be-satisfied just from crushing the glass. In a single motion, he pulled the frame off the wall and threw it down the hall, a smirk creeping over his face. Without thinking, he continued down the hallway and picked the photograph out of the debris.

Silver stared at it for what seemed like hours. Finally, rage tore through him again and he ripped the photo apart, scattering the pieces on the ground.

"I'm glad you're gone, dammit." He hissed, stepping on the piece displaying his father's face. "I'm glad you decided you'd be better off where no one has to see you! _You ruined my life, you know that?_" His foot connected with the picture frame's remains and it bounced further down the hallway. "Screw this place. I can't want to see someone take a wrecking ball to it."

He whirled and began marching back towards the entrance. Tears blurred his vision. He cussed at himself for it. He flung the front door open and took a step outside. A gust of freezing air hit him the second he did.

"Screw this place." He repeated, wiping the tears from his eyes. His voice dropped to almost a whisper as he pulled the door shut. "And screw you, dad. Why the hell did you abandon me?"


	8. Glitches

_Drabble. Based upon various glitches and hacks in the games: Missingno., Glitch City, Tweaking, hacking the living crap out of your game, etc. _

_**Disclaimer: **Without disclaimers, would be, like, 20% cooler. I don't own Pokemon, though I do have a useless knowledge of glitches._

* * *

Red crumpled, hands cupped over his ears. The shrieking just kept going, making his head throb.

_Stop, stop, stop! _ He wanted to scream it at the top of his lungs; the shrieks mixed with horrible, radio-like static. Blurs of black and purple and grey raced around his line of vision. The world itself seemed to be falling apart. Why did that horrible shrieking seem to be getting louder with every second?

_Just make it stop!_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

.

.

Every inch of the city was repeated endlessly; roads and stairways led to nowhere; houses were half-built, cutting off in the middle of the building. Everything was hued in a disgusting red-orange. Hibiki wondered how long he could take it. He kicked at a puddle of bright red water, causing the droplets to freeze in midair and disappear. This city stretched on forever. Uninhabited except for Hibiki, who was cursed to stay here forever. All of his pokémon had long since turned on him, run off into the endless piles of boulders and unfinished walls what he guessed to be months ago.

He sighed and kept walking, hoping he would find an end to this hellhole of a city soon.

_What did I do to deserve this?_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

.

.

_There's no escape. _

It was the only way Yuki could describe his situation. He'd been trapped in the battle frontier for longer than he could possibly remember. Every time he'd tried to leave, he would just be brought back here. Some invisible barrier kept him from walking away. Attempts to teleport away were met with searing pain. Trying to fly away would just end him right back where he began.

Everyone around him remained stationary, smiles plastered to their faces. If time he tried to talk to one, they just spouted the same nonsense at him. _Doesn't anyone see what's going on? _

He flopped down in a bench, staring up at the ever-blazing sun. Days never passed. He could only guess how long he'd been stuck. He'd tried a new escape every day. Nothing had worked.

_I should just give up already._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

.

.

The darkness was suffocating. Koki had forgotten was light looked like. He just kept wandering in blackness, unable to see anything.

He couldn't feel the ground beneath his feet; he wouldn't stop walking for fear of falling into the endless dark. Exhaustion was starting to get the better of him, though. He wasn't sure how long he could keep going.

Finally, his knees buckled and he stumbled over. He assumed his eyes shut, but his mind was too fuzzy to tell. The sensation of falling consumed him, and his mind went blank.

_At least it's finally over._


	9. Sequel

****EEEEEEEE! THEY RELEASED THE NEW CHARACTER'S NAMES FINALLY!

MEI IS THE GIRL HYU/HUE/HUGH IS THE RIVAL AND KYOUHEI IS THE GUY.

*ahem*

To celebrate... this!

**Disclaimer: **...why is this necessary?

* * *

**Starting Out**

"Hyu! Hyu!"

Two brunettes charge down Hiougi City's street, calling out their friend's name. The navy-haired boy leans back on the porch of his home, keeping an eye on his little sister as she plays on the sidewalk.

"Hyu!" Mei shouts again, skidding to a halt along with her younger brother as they reach his home, "How could you not tell us you already got your pokémon?"

Hyu grins, pushing himself to his feet. "It's hard to tell someone something when they're asleep. I take it you haven't yet?"

"Of course we haven't. Like you said, we've been asleep for most of the morning," Kyouhei laughs, "Where'd you get it? You've gotta show us!"

"Sis, why don't you go inside? I promise I'll help you with your drawing later, okay?" Hyu scoops his sister off the sidewalk, leaving her chalk on the ground, and sets her down near the door. She simply gives her brother a nod and skips inside.

"Aw, what a sweet big brother," Mei teases, linking elbows with her childhood friend.

"Aw, what a terrible big sister," Hyu counters, nodding towards Kyouhei, who rolls his eyes at them.

"Aw, both of you, let's get moving; your flirting is making me sick." Kyouhei scoffs, sticking his tongue out at the two. Both Hyu and Mei promptly drop elbows, their faces turning red.

"It's not flirting," Mei protests, "Y-you know what, let's just go. Lead the way, Hyu!"

**Big Brother**

Hyu's little sister sat cross-legged on the porch, sadly scribbling the pavement dusty yellow.

_He promised he'd draw with me,_ She thought, cuddling a plush Buneary against her chest. _Now he went off to go on a adventure with his friends. _

She dropped her yellow chalk and reached for a blue one, intending to draw her big brother and herself. Tears flooded her eyes and spilled over her cheeks until she was softly sobbing.

"Why'd you lie?" She hiccupped, "You promised, Hyu…"

She wrapped her arms around the stuffed toy—a present from him—and pressed her face against the soft fabric, crying into it. Mommy was always too busy to play; Daddy always told her he didn't want to; Hyu was the only one that would. He would bring her to go visit Mei and Kyouhei and they'd play games and eat ice cream. Mei had promised she'd teach her how to swim. Kyouhei always gave her paper and markers to draw with. Now all of them had left, and she didn't have anyone.

All she could do now was wait for her big brother to come home.

**Champion**

Iris had always been a little different.

After all, she was a little girl, just barely out of grade school, who'd managed to become one of the most powerful gym leaders in the region.

What other schoolgirls could claim they got to play with dragons all day?

Her best friends were her pokémon; she worked hard to train them, had fun raising them, spent time playing with them.

Yet somehow it was a surprise to everyone when she's strong enough to best the champion.

Now she spends her days at the league, waiting for the challenger strong enough to take on the dragon girl. And sometimes she wonders:

_Is it really good to be this different?_

She sees other girls all the time with their friends, their boyfriends, their makeup, their games, their families. They all seem so happy to her. She doesn't have much of any of that, but she's perfectly happy—at least, she's pretty sure she's happy.

But Iris has to wonder what having all that stuff is like. People are nice to her, but she doesn't really know if she can call them her friends. She's never liked a boy like that, and she's never worn any makeup. She can play with her pokémon, which seems close enough. Drayden's always taken care of her, so does that make him family?

She waits for the challenger that will be good enough to beat her and wonders, when she finally looses, could she go try and be a normal girl?

**Crush**

"Shizui is so cute!" Mei squealed, "Don't you think so?"

"I am a _straight _male, thank you," Hyu grumbled, giving her a light shove, "So I think I can't answer that. What do you see in that guy, anyway? He's not all that cool."

"_Yeah_ _he is!"_ The brunette protested, clasping her hands over her heart, "He's good looking, he's funny, he's _so_ sweet, and he's so _hot!_"

"You said he's hot twice," Hyu pointed out, "Plus he isn't as good looking as you think he is."

"Says the _'straight male'? _So who are you to judge?" His friend teased, "You're just jealous…"

"I am not jealous! I just think you're getting all crazy over him for nothing. He's never gonna fall for you. And besides, he has a crappy tan!"

"You are jealous!"

Mei laughed, throwing an arm around her blushing childhood friend. He shoved it off, staggering away from her with his face burning bright red.

"I _am not!"_

**Successful**

"_How?_" Mei cried, putting all her pent-up frustration into the pokéball she'd let fall, "How are you so much better than me? I work harder! I'm older! I'm stronger—I-I know I am! How do you keep beating me?"

"M-Mei… you need to chill—" Kyouhei began, making an attempt to calm his sister. She whirled on him, fists clenched.

"_No!_ I've been working the hardest while all _you_ ever do is _chill! _I deserve… I deserve _some_ recognition, but no, everyone praises _you!_ You always win!"

"This isn't a competition," Her brother muttered, "I'm not trying to—"

"And yet, somehow, you're still _always_ the favorite?"

"What're you talking about?" Kyouhei's patience was starting to wear thin, giving his voice an edge.

"Everyone showers all their attention on you! Because, apparently, you're _so_ special!"

"That's not true—"

"_Yes it is!_" Mei screamed, tears falling down her cheeks, "No matter how hard I try, you're always better! Mom and Dad always care more about what you do! You're the one saving the region from Team Plasma; you're the one winning every battle you come across! No matter how much I work, you slack of and still do—"

"You're being overly drama—"

"Shut up! I am not!"

"_Stop interrupting me!_" Kyouhei had enough; he wasn't going to listen to his sister's whining any longer, "You're being dramatic! At least I'm not being as high-strung and obsessive as you always are! So everyone should treat you like royalty just because you're older than me? Working hard doesn't mean better, stupid!"

Mei stared at her brother, completely dumbstruck. She hadn't expected him to argue; after a moment, a wave of anger washed over her.

"Go away!" She snapped, shoving her brother away, "Get out of here! I hate your guts, I wish you weren't born!"

Kyouhei turned away without any hesitation. Before he stormed away, an impulse ran through him. He couldn't help himself; as he started walking, he shouted back without thinking.

"Yeah? I wish you weren't born, either, asshole!"


	10. Hopeless Romantics

Ghetsis' cackling carries through the throne room as Touko is pulled off the ground by his Hydreigon. A scream tears from her lips, pain shooting through her shoulder.

"T-Touko, hold on!" Touya yells. He reaches for a pokéball, but Alder stops him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"No! Touya, you'll just end up getting her killed!"

"_She'll die if we don't do something!"_ Touya argues, pulling away. He throws the pokéball, despite the champion's warning, releasing the twin's shared starter.

"Samurott, do _anything,_ just make sure it lets Touko go!" Touya orders, but the pokémon is already in motion; Samurott leaps towards the Hydregion, pulling the shell-swords from its front legs and slashing at the dragon. It takes only one strike to the neck for Hydregion to lose all interest in Touko; it releases her, allowing her to tumble to the floor.

As the two pokémon continue grappling with each other, Cheren and Touya rush to aid their friend.

"Touko, get up," Touya urges, "Please, get up!"

"It's no use-she's out cold. She needs to get to a hospital-" Cheren stops, catching something out of the corner of his eye. Both boys turn to see Hydregion and Samurott, facing off head to head, at the very edge of the stone platform; seconds later, one of them makes a slip and they both fall to the long-empty pool, practically fifty feet down.

"No!" Touya shoots to his feet, losing sight of everything but where the pokémon fell, "No, S-Samu…" He chokes, unable to finish. He can see both of the bodies far below; there's no doubt that Samurott is gone, crushed beneath the dragon when they hit the ground.

The rest passes by in a blur for him; Alder steps forward and takes Ghetsis into custody while he screams insults at N; Cheren tells him that he'll get Touko out of here and she'll be fine. He takes Touko away, leaving just Touya and N.

"No, no, no…" Touya repeats, falling to his knees. _How did this happen?_ _Why? Why both of them?_

"This is the cost of awakening the dragons that I foresaw," N murmured, taking a few steps towards the crumpled brunette, "And… it's my fault. I have no right to be the hero; I… I apologize-"

"I-It wasn't you…" Touya argues, surprising himself, "You didn't try to kill Samurott. You didn't attack my sister."

"But I let it happen. And everything beforehand; I truly thought all of Team Plasma was righteous in their goals. I…" He stops, takes a deep breath, and says, "Although, I sincerely want to thank you."

"…Why?" Touya forces himself back on his feet, but has little energy left to do anything more.

"You've showed me the truth. In Accumula Town, when I first met you, when I heard what your pokémon was saying, I was shocked." N explains, "I'd only known pokémon that had been betrayed by humans, and with two trainers, I assumed your Oshawott would be unhappy. But the opposite was the case; it said that it liked you, even though you fought. That it cared about both of you.

"At the time, I couldn't understand it. And the longer my journey continued, the more unsure I became. It amazed me how such opposites could work together in harmony. That was why I needed to confirm by beliefs by battling you. I wanted, more than anything, to confront you two, heroes-to-hero. It opened my eyes, and for that, I must thank you."

"…Thank you, too," Touya mumbles, "If it hadn't been for you, Touko and I would still be fighting. We would have never made it this far. I think she would say the same if she were here," He holds out his hand, "I think we can say that we're friends."

A smile twitches across N's lips. He takes Touya's hand and gives it a small shake.

"Yes," He drops the brunette's hand and turns toward the far end of the throne room, "I don't know if everyone will be as forgiving, though. What I should do now is something I must decide for myself. Touya… you and your sister both truly are heroes. Don't be afraid to go after your dreams. Well, then… farewell."

N treads towards the hole in the wall at the edge of the throne room, eyes set on the mountains in the distance. His feet just barely touch the edge as he releases Kyurem, climbs onto his back, and flies off with it.

Touya watches until Kyurem vanishes into the distance.

"Farewell."

.

.

.

_"Touko, are you sure you're okay?" Bianca asks worriedly._

"_Of course," She lies, "I… I just need a little time alone…" She motions to the grave next to her, forcing herself to keep the tears from spilling over her eyes._

"_Oh… Okay, I'll wait outside, then…" She shows herself to the door and Touko kneels next to the blue-grey stone encasing her former partner. As much as it hurts to move her injured arm, she places a hand on it, tracing over the pokéball symbol. Pain shoots through her shoulder from the movement, but she forces herself to ignore it._

"_Samurott… thank you for everything," Touko murmurs, resting her head against the grave. "Without you, who knows where we'd be now? What you did for me… I'm recovering now, thanks to you. If you hadn't been our partner… I can't even imagine it. Touya and I would still fight twenty-four-seven. He told me everything that N said, and that proves without you, N wouldn't have changed, either. Bianca and Cheren, too. We've all grown up a lot since we left, and I think it was you, in the long run, that changed us._

"_Thank you…" Tears slip down her face as she rises, "Thank you."_

"_Touko, are you ready to go now?" Bianca peers in through the door. The brunette nods shakily and Bianca rushes in, taking her friend by the arm. As her friend pulls her outside, Touko steals one more glance back at the stone grave._

"_Goodbye."_

* * *

**Part 3 of 3.**_  
_

**Disclaimer: _I don't own pokemon._**


	11. Speaking in Flowers

****_Aaand we have more of my OTPs. Ever heard of the Language of Flowers?_

_**Disclaimer:** This is completely unessecary.  
_

* * *

**SoulfulHeart**

Red held the bouquet tight to his chest, feeling a little anxious. Was Kotone ever going to show up? Of course she came every day, but why did it seem like she had picked today to take so long? After what felt like hours-but in reality was more like a few minutes-the sound of footsteps through the snow could be heard behind him.

"Red!" Kotone called, "I'm here!"

In a single motion, Red turned around and thrust the bouqet at her, not saying a word. The brunette stared at him for a second, then turned her attention to the gift; tiny yellow, five-petal flowers lined up and down a dozen foot-long stems. A few were slightly wilted or crumpled from the champion's grip, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

"Thanks for visiting me," He said softly, giving her a weak smile. Kotone nodded slowly, then set her flowers in the top of her bag. She threw her arms around Red, catching him in a hug.

"You're so sweet!" She giggled, causing the young man to blush. "Thank _you_!"

**NewRival**

Haruka's every step seemed to echo as she made her way down the stone path, the only other sounds the chirping of spearow in the trees and that of the light wind blowing. She kept stealing glances down at the flowers in her grip. She held a fistful of small, circular purple-petaled flowers, somewhat sloppily picked herself. The more she thought about it, the worse they seemed, but it was too late to turn back now.

She veered off the path, heading towards a relatively new gravestone she'd memorized the location of. Kneeling down in front of it, she laid the flowers on top and bowed her head in respect. The world seemed to go silent for a moment as she tried to get the words out that always seemed to refuse to leave her lips.

_"I'll love you forever, Wally."_

**Twinleaf**

"Jun, can I just open my eyes-"

"No, not yet!"

Hikari grumbled, holding her hands over her eyes as her childhood friend lead her down what she assumed to be a road. She didn't understand why he was going to such stilly measures for a birthday present. Finally, they came to a stop. After a breif moment of pause, she heard Jun shuffing his feet so he would be facing her.

"Okay, open your eyes!"

Hikari dropped her hands to see Jun holding out a bunch of white lilacs, grinning broadly; in the background, the lake shimmered, reflecting the afternoon sunlight. She felt her face warm with blush as she took the flowers from his grip. She pressed the soft petals to her nose, inhaling the scent.

"They're beautiful. But why the lake?"

"'Cause, remember, when we were kids we'd always come play here. I'd climb the trees and stuff, and we always played hide and seek... I thought you'd like the good memory and stuff!"

The blunette laughed, shifting the flowers to one hand and wrapping her free arm around Jun for a half-hug. "I miss those days."

"Well, you're never too old to have fun!"

The blond grinned, picking up his friend-much to her surprise. She let out a yelp, dropping her flowers to the ground as she tried to return to the ground. Jun just laughed, stumbling around as she shrugged.

And even though he still acted like a little kid, she had to admit, she loved that about him.

**Rebel**

Bianca yawned-she was still sleepy early in the morning, but she had to get up so she could do her job as the professor's assistant. Hardly alert, she stumbled out the door, nearly missing the bright purple flower placed atop the mat.

The blonde picked the plant off the ground, eyeing it curiously; it was an iris, it's silk-soft petals curling delicately. A piece of paper was folded around the flower, the writing on the inside catching her eye. She opened up the note.

_"Dear Bianca,  
__Need some good news? Visit Route 1-you don't be disappointed."_

Nothing more was written on it, aside from a small heart at the bottom. Bianca bit her lip, confused by the note. Who sent it? She wrapped the paper back around the flower's stem, curiosity getting the better of her-she was sure the professor could wait a little while she visited Route 1.

As Bianca arrived on the road down Route 1, she peered around, wondering what was waiting for her. Her jaw dropped when it finally came into view-leaning back against a tree was none other than Touya, the brim of his hat pulled low over his eyes. He glanced up for a moment, face lighting up when he saw his old friend. She broke into a dash, practically knocking Touya over as she hugged him.

"Touya! I can't believe it's really you!" She cried, "It's been-"

"Two years," The brunette finished calmly, an amused tone to his voice, "I know. I missed you."

"I missed you too. You left that flower?"

"Yep. And you're not disappointed, are you?"

"Not at all."

**Sequel**

Mei hummed to herself, practically skipping towards the door. Finally, after so long, Hyu had asked her on a date. She'd been estatic since it happened, and tonight was the night they were going. When a knock had sounded at the door just seconds before, she'd dashed to answer it.

Sure enough, as she swung the door open, Hyu was waiting there, a few flowers in his hand.

"Oh! Are those for me?" Mei looked hopeful, observing the plant-the petals were five a flower, completely white except for tiny black specks near the center. Hyu rolled his eyes, but he couldn't keep a smile off his face.

"Maybe. Make me a promise first."

"...okay, fire."

"Promise that, whatever happens, you'll still be my best friend first. I don't want a stupid fight to make us hate each other-no matter what happens to us as a couple, we'll still be friends. Sound fair?"

"Seems fair," Mei agreed, "I swear."

"Good. Take your flowers, doughnut hair," Hyu teased, handing her the flowers and taking her hand. Mei simply giggled in responce, holding tight to her lifelong friend's hand.


	12. Don't Stop Believing

_This song! It's my absolute favorite. Normally I'm not a big ChessShipper, buttt... _

_**Disclaimer:** [insert witty comment about not owning pokemon and writing fan fictions here]  
_

* * *

_Just a small town girl  
Living in a lonely world_

Hilda's lived in Nuvema all her life; she grew up there, she went to school there, she met her best friends there. She'd always had dreams far too big for such a small town. When she left on a journey, she was given the world to hold her dreams.

Not a day passed that when she didn't wonder why she'd returned.

She always guessed it was because there was nothing left for her to do. Her friends were gone—Cheren was a gym leader. Bianca was studying to become a professor. Hilda had her championship taken just years after she'd earned it for herself. She'd beaten all the gyms, traveled the whole region—done everything there was to do. She had nothing and no one else. Just herself and her broken dreams.

Hilda couldn't give up, though; there had to be something out there. There was always something. So she set out again, leaving Nuvema with no goal in mind and no dreams in her heart. Where she was going, she had no idea. Somehow, in the end, she'd wound up in the subways of Nimbasa City.

Well, what better place? The trains that left went anywhere you could name, and you could get on one as long as you could pay.

She boarded her train, not caring where she'd end up, just as the clock stuck twelve.

_She took a midnight train going anywhere._

Just a city boy  
Born and raised in South Detroit

Hilbert was always at home in the big city. He did whatever he pleased whenever he pleased with no goals, no dreams. The young man knew Nimbasa like the back of his hand; he'd seen every musical, watched every team play at the stadiums, frequented the Battle Subway, and gone to the amusement park more times than anyone could count.

And, he had to admit, it was getting boring.

It was almost like he was in a rut.

Hilbert could do something different every day, but he'd done it all before. Nothing was new, nothing was exciting. There had to be more; something, somewhere, someone new. Anything that could bring excitement back. There was a whole world to see—why not start seeing it? So he set out for the subway, not caring where he was going, just looking for a fresh start.

He handed over his ticked and boarded the train; twelve _"dongs"_sounded from the Subway's clock, signaling that it was midnight.

_He took a midnight train going anywhere._

Hilbert sighed, leaning back in his seat. The ride had been painfully silent so far, with the only other person on the train was a ponytailed girl who stared out the window with little interest. Was it just his imagination, or did she seem a little familiar? It couldn't hurt to ask—after all, they had a good hour left to burn.

"Hey," He greeted, sitting upright, "Why're you heading to Anville this late?"

Hilda cast him an odd glance. "I don't know. Why're you asking?"

The boy just shrugged, chuckling a bit, "We've got time to burn. A conversation couldn't hurt. I'm just curious."

"I guess not. What about you? Why're you going this late?"

"I don't know," Hilbert laughed; Hilda grinned a bit, and he continued, "I'm Hilbert, by the way."

"Hilda. Nice to meet you."

_A singer in a smoky room  
The smell of wine and cheap perfume_

"You really didn't have to treat me to a meal," Hilda muttered, shoving some mushy-looking peas around her plate with a fork.

"Well I felt like it. After the ride here, I wouldn't mind talking to you a bit more."

Hilda felt her face warm in embarrassment; she ducked her head down to hide her blush, but still making sure to listen to Hilbert.

"I just wish I there was somewhere better than this that I could actually afford," He made a gesture to the room around them; the mixed smell of smoke, the crappy food, and the disgusting perfume worn by apparently all the waitresses filled the air. Some music neither of them recognized played through the speakers. It wasn't exactly a pleasant atmosphere.

"Really, it's alright," Hilda assured him, "If you're that short on money, I could pay, too. I still have plenty left over from when I won the championship."

"I couldn't ask you to do that. Which reminds me," Hilbert's face seemed to brighten as he remembered, "You never did explain on the subway—why is the former champion here in Anville?"

"I lost my title to a kid from Aspertia City."

"Couldn't you win it back?"

"I've tried. The girl's too good for me; she deserves it more. And my friends have moved on with their lives—I barely hear from them anymore. It's like there's nothing left for me."

"There's a whole world out there. You can't just give up."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, there's always something left. You can't stop believing."

"…I guess not." Hilda couldn't help but smile, just a little.

_For a smile they can share the night  
It goes on, and on, and on, and on._


	13. Memory

_Slightly depressing TwinLeafShipping because I don't know? Sure._

_**Disclaimer: **I am so done.  
_

* * *

"Papa, what's this picture?"

A little navy-haired girl looked up at her father, holding out a photograph she'd uncovered. He plucked it out of her fingers, curious as to what she'd found.

"Well, let me take a look," Jun laughed to his daughter, glancing down at the picture.

His heart skipped a beat as he saw what it was; the dusty photo depicted a few of the champions, but one in particular caught his eye. Hikari. She smiled up at him-or, rather, the camera-and held her shaymin in her arms. How long ago was this taken? Jun couldn't recall, but the fact that she was wearing that old pink coat and scarf gave him a few guesses.

He brushed some of the grime off its surface, his fingers trailing over the face he hadn't seen in years. A faint memory came back to him, playing like a movie as he closed his eyes:

_"Hey, Kari, you look down!" Jun laughed, elbowing his childhood friend, "What's the matter?"_

Hikari kept her eyes locked in front of her, watching her feet send ripples across the surface of Lake Verity. She tapped her fingers against her face thoughtfully, then finally answered.

"Just thinking… Jun, if I asked you to make a promise, would you keep it, no matter how ridiculous it is?"

Jun blinked, wondering what brought on the weird question.

"Y-yeah… of course!"

"Then…" She turned, his heart pounding when her stormy eyes met his'. "Will you promise that if, for whatever reason, we have to say goodbye forever, and you grow up and have a family and children, you'll tell them who I am?"

"Huh…?" The blonde's smile faltered, "Why? Kari, are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," Hikari smiled, just barely, and rest her head against his shoulder, "I just thought… if, you know, by some weird chance we lost touch or I…" She trailed off, as if she'd forgotten what she was about to say, but picked back up again, "I just want to know that you'll keep me in your memory. Okay?"

"Okay… I guess," He mumbled, "I promise I will, then."

"Thanks."

Jun gripped the photograph tighter, feeling a bit overwhelmed. He took a deep breath and knelt down, holding the picture out for his daughter could see.

"These are the champions. See? There's Red, and Haruka, and Touko and Touya," He told her, pointing out to each of the famous trainers as he listed them. His daughter frowned and pointed to Hikari.

"She's not a champion, right? I never saw her on TV! Who's she?"

"That's Hikari, your mother," He explained, handing her the photo, "She used to be a champion."

"That's mama…?" The little girl furrowed her eyebrows, "What happened? Why's she not a champion no more? Why didn't I ever meet her?"

"She's gone now, sweetheart," Jun said, giving his daughter a kiss on the forehead, "I'll tell you more when you get older."

"But I wanna know nooow!" She protested, stomping her foot.

"You wouldn't understand. How about you keep the picture, though?"

His daughter stuck her lower lip out in a pout, but huffed, "Fine!" and marched away to her room, leaving her father by himself.

Jun pressed his face into his hands, a wave of emotion washing over him.

"Hikari…" He breathed, shaking his head, "Why did you make me promise?"

_"You know I'll keep you in my memory."_


	14. Stay With Me

_What's this? I'm finally updating again? Witchcraft! Sorry, I've been busy on Tumblr. Ehehe. Here, have a drabble to make up for it: MangaQuest, Twinleaf, and NewChampion!_

* * *

**MangaQuestShipping**

"Yo, Crys, you still here?" Gold called, pushing through the front door of the Research Lab. Most of the lights had long since been turned out, excepting a single desklamp near the back. Squinting, he saw the blunette he was searching for seated at the desk. She was slumped forward, her head resting atop her arms.

"Hey, sleeping beauty, wake up!" He took a seat on the edge of her desk, knocking a stack of books and stray papers to the ground. Crystal stirred, a scowl crossing her face as she opened her eyes.

"Gol... what are you doing?" She asked drowsily, pushing herself upright in her chair. She rubbed her eyes, stifling a yawn-clearly she'd pushed herself to exaustion and fallen asleep. Gold snickered. _Typical Crys._

"What're you still doing cooped up in here? I'm getting so lonely," He faked a pout, puffing his cheeks out and sticking out his lower lip.

Crystal hesitated, her eyelids drooping shut as she stared at the black-haired boy. "Just... go away. I've still got work to do."

Gold narrowed his eyes, a huff of breath escaping him. What, not even a sarcastic insult? He dropped back onto the ground and went around to the opposite side of the desk. Without missing a beat, he scooped Crystal out of her chair and began carrying her, bridal-style, out the door.

"G-Gold, put me down!" The blunette sputtered, (weakly) struggling against his grip. He just snicked, starting for her house down the road. Thankfully, the front door was unlocked, so he entered and laid Crystal on the living room sofa. He took a seat next to her on the arm of the couch.

"Now sleep," Gold ordered, "You're boring as hell when you're tired."

"Ass," Crys grumbled, rolling over and burying her face in the cushions. He just laughed at her, giving her a pat on the head.

"And I'm not leaving-tomorrow, you're spending a day with me. Got it?"

There was no response; Crystal was already out, her exhaustion getting the better of her in seconds.

"Heh. Night, super-serious gal."

**TwinleafShipping**

Hikari sighed, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared down Jun. He laid in bed, his broken foot propped up on a pillow. The blond returned her gaze with a nervous one of his own, wondering to himself how long it would be until she chewed him out.

"You're an idiot," Hikari announced (finally, Jun thought), "Just when I think you're not dumb enough to climb trees, you go and _fall out of one."_

"Hey, I was trying to help!" He protested, an upset tone creeping into his voice, "It's not my fault that stupid Murkrow stole your necklace. And at least I got it back.

Without thinking, Hikari's hand shifted towards her neck, clasping onto the necklace beneath her scarf as if it would disappear when she let go.

"Alright, so you helped me. But you chose the most reckless possible way to do it!"

"I guess I'm not getting a thank-you, then."

"No, you're not!" Hikari snapped, smacking him upside the head, "You know, I've got better things to do than babysit you."

"_Noo!"_ Jun moaned, leaning forward and grabbing onto her arm to stop her from leaving. "Kari Kari, if you leave me, I'll fine you a million bucks."

Hikari let out an exasperated "_tsk_" and pulled her arm away

"Come on, Hikari, _please_? It's so boring alone!"

She paused. Her shoulders slumped forward as she sighed, and then turned around and took a seat on the edge of Jun's bed.

"You're so immature. Fine. I'll stay here."

**NewChampionShipping**

"Hurry up, flamethrower!"

Kyouhei's shout echoed throughout the practice room, followed by the sound of Haxorus' thundering footsteps and his own Emboar letting out a roar.

"Charge him!" Iris commanded, literally jumping up and down as her own pokemon dove headfirst towards her opponents. Emboar leaned back, gulping in air before he released a blazing hot stream of fire from it's maw. Iris' haxorus was bathed in the flame for quick moment, just long enough to stop it in it's tracks.

"Perfect! Finish off-Giga impact!" The brunette boy commanded; his partner obeyed without hesitation, charging at the dragon and slamming into it at full-force. At the same time, thunder rumbled outside, a brief reminder of why they'd been forced to take the battle inside.

"Aw, you beat me again!" Iris pouted, recalling her pokemon. Kyouhei grinned sheepishly in response.

"Well, you came close. If Emboar and waited just a second longer, we'd be done for. Next time, I bet-" He was cut off by another rumble of thunder, one that shook the building. The lights flickered-once, twice, and then went out entirely. Iris yelped, clearing the space between herself and Kyouhei in a split second.

"Woah, woah, calm down," he laughed, "Don't tell me the champion of all of Unova is afraid of a little storm?"

"D-don't make fun of me!"

"I'm not, I just didn't realize you were scared of-" he stopped, lightning illuminating the room for a second, accompanied by another earth-shaking clap of thunder. His companion let out another shout and wrapped her arms around him, shaking from fear. Kyouhei felt his face warm with blush as he returned her embrace, giving her a gentle pat on the back.

"Calm down, okay?" He murmured, "It's just some bad weather. It'll blow over soon, and the power will come right back on."

He felt her nod against his chest.

"Good. I'll stay right here with you the whole time."


	15. Shadows and Dust

_Here we go, the crossover I've been dying to write for-ev-er: The Mortal Instruments x Pokemon_

_AUs, anybody? _

_I apologize if you don't understand any of this._

**Disclamer: **Have a nice day, punching people in the face is wrong, and I don't own pokemon._  
_

* * *

_Pulvis et umbra sumus_

_Silence. _There wasn't a noise to be heard-not even the wind in the trees-as Green maneuvered his way through the endless labyrinth of trees that was the Viridian Forest. In his black gear, he melded effortlessly into the shadows, becoming nothing but darkness himself.

There was the faintest change behind him; the movement of leaves, a slight shift in the air. He spun, drawing his seraph blade and readying for attack, but stopped suddenly in mid-swing, leaving his weapon just bare inches from the throat of a brunette girl. The moonlight cast an odd pallor on her face, giving her an appearance of sinister beauty. _Appropriate_, Green thought bitterly.

"Hello, Nephilim," she greeted, her tone somewhere between chipper and cruel.

"What do you want, faerie?" Green spat, "This is Shadowhunter business-it has nothing to do with you."

"Tsk. Always so distrusting of the downworlders."

"_Leaf_," he growled, addressing the woman with the name he knew her by, "what do you want? Your kind doesn't do anything without reason."

"Perhaps I just wanted to see my favorite little Shadowhunter again?" Leaf purred, stepping closer to the young man. He shuddered internally, but kept a blank expression on the outside-he knew all too well how easily she could manipulate a mortal like himself, even if he did have the abilities of a Shadowhunter.

"Pesky fey, can't tell anyone something straight out."

"Fine," Leaf sighed, "You see, I have much more to do with this _business_, as you called it, than you realize. Your enemy is a downworlder, of course, not unlike my kind. He came to the Seelie Court believing that he could ally himself with the fair folk, though he made the mistake of displeasing her highness."

"You're saying you're on our side, then?" Green quirked his eyebrows. He had to be careful in analyzing what she said; though faeries couldn't lie, they could twist their words so easily that the meaning was the exact opposite of what they said.

"If you're willing to accept, her highness would be willing to extend an opportunity for the nephilim to become our allies."

"The fey aren't known for their trustworthiness. What if we refused?"

Leaf smiled then, and, for the barest instant, her beauty melted away; her skin seemed to tint a dark purple in color, with empty holes where her eyes might be, and razor-like teeth. As quickly as it had appeared, though, it vanished again, leaving Green a bit shaken.

"It's an offer that can't be refused," Leaf said simply.

"I'll take your message to the Clave, then," he muttered, struggling to keep his voice even. In the blink of an eye, the woman vanished, leaving nothing but a few swirling leaves in her wake.

"Damned fey," Green sighed. Demons and Angels combined, indeed.

"Idiot!" Dawn shouted, barging through the front door of the Institute, "I've never met someone as _stupid, immature, reckless-_"

"Take it easy," Lucas mumbled, following after her, "Everyone screws up."

Behind him, a blond young man followed, staring down at the floor dejectedly.

"Screws up?!" She whirled, "Well, this was downright _stupid_! Barry, you _dumbass_! What the hell were you thinking, taking on a Greater Demon alone? You're lucky _most of the freaking Clave _got there in time-no, you're lucky anyone even figured out where you went!"

"I just-" Barry began, but was interrupted as Lucas elbowed him in the side.

"Just let her finish, alright?" The blunette whispered, "You're completely screwed if you try to argue."

"Not only did you nearly get yourself killed, you managed to get-how many? At least ten-other people injured. _And that demon is still out there!"_ Dawn's tone had begun to dissolve from anger to concern, "Do you have _any_ idea how much trouble you could get in for all this?"

Without waiting for a response, she turned around a stomped away, disappearing down the hallway.

"I was just trying to help," Barry muttered, pouting a bit, "I figured I could do it on my own... I didn't want anyone else to get hurt-"

Lucas just laughed, rolling his eyes. "I know. You're my parabati, of course I know what you were trying to do. Face it: no matter how hard you try to keep her safe, she's still a Shadowhunter like us. There's no stopping it. She's going to fight and get hurt, too."

"I can still try!" The blond protested, "Sure, she can fight, but-"

"But you'll take her place if she might die?" Lucas raised his eyebrows, "That self-sacrificing hero stuff is bullshit. You know what it would to to _her_ if you died?"

"We're Shadowhunters! Isn't death, like, part of our lives?"

"Hypocrite," Lucas sighed, starting along the hallway that Dawn had vanished down earlier, "You know, you're a good person, but a really shitty Shadowhunter."

"If it keeps you guys alive, then I'm fine with that!"

Brendan winced, the familiar feeling of a new rune being drawn burning on his skin; May trailed the stele along his back, creating an _iratze, _a healing rune, over the gash running between his shoulders.

"Werewolves," he muttered under his breath, "By the Angel, they're tough to fight."

May laughed softly, a noise like music to Brendan. A sudden pang of guilt shot through him-of all the people to fall for, why is parabati? Of course, the one person the Law prevented him from being with...

"Hey, would you look at me?" May tugged at his shoulder, "you've got a huge cut on your neck-unless you want to try to draw your own iratze on that, of course."

Brendan laughed sheepishly in response, shifting so he faced his partner. She raised her hand to his chin, tilting his head so she could draw the rune. Unwillingly, his fingers clenched, embarrassment settling in from the contact.

_Damn law,_ he thought bitterly, averting his eyes from the brunette; so much as looking at her when he was thinking like this was torture. As May set the stele aside, she ran her fingers over the newly-drawn rune.

"Being a Shadowhunter is tough sometimes."

Brendan felt a pang.

_You have no idea._

"Bianca, learn to accept what happened already!"

Cheren slammed his book shut, turning to glare at the blonde sitting next to him.

"I _won't_," Bianca insisted, "There's no real proof! Hilda and Hilbert have to still be alive-"

"After _two years?_" Her companion snapped, his voice exasperation mixed with sadness, "After more searches than anyone can count? After all the evidence leads us to believe that they're dead?" As he neared the end, his tone became more broken, betraying how hard it really was on him.

"We would be able to feel it, wouldn't we? We're their parab-"

"I know," Cheren huffed, pressing his face into the palm of his hand, "We should, but with all the evidence... Bianca, this ideal you're clinging to is unlikely _at best._ You _know_that."

Bianca hung her head, tears blurring her vision.

"You-_we_-need to accept that they're gone. We're Shadowhunters, and so were they. It's not uncommon for us to go missing. We go out on a mission, we fight, we die. Some are never found. Demons may eat them, or-"

"S-stop!" Bianca squeaked, "I-I don't-"

"You're a Shadowhunter, too, Bianca. So am I. It's our life. You know the motto-_Pulivs et umbra sumus. _We live in the shadows and protect this world. We go unrecognized by the mundanes. It's how we live."

"I-it's not a good way to live."

For that, Cheren had no response. He dropped his gaze to the table, sullenness settling over him.

"You have a point."

_We are shadows and dust_


	16. School Days

_School has been keeping me busy._

__**Disclaimer: **/rolls NOPE

* * *

**OriginalShipping**

Green grumbled, wishing class would end already. He was anxious to get out of here; there were better things than being stuck in a stupid classroom he could be doing.

Out of the blue, a piece of paper folded into a tight square landed on his desk. Leaf, sitting a few desks over, grinned back at him. He rolled his eyes and unfolded the paper.

"_What are you doing tonight?_" Leaf's familiar curly handwriting spelled out the question. Green sighed and put his pen against the paper-it wasn't as if he was paying attention, anyway.

"_going to the mountain to get red. what else?_" He scribbled down quickly, folded the paper, and tossed it in Leaf's direction. It landed on her desk and she picked it up without hesitating. Almost immediately, her shoulders slumped in exasperation.

In a second, the paper was reurned to his desk.

"_Why?! Do you have a crush on him or something?!_"

Green felt his face heat up. He snuck a glance over at Leaf's desk-she was staring back at him expectantly.

"_no. because, that's why. shut up, i'll go to a movie or something with you this weekend._"

He tossed the paper back to Leaf, who took to writing a response in a heartbeat, then returned it it him.

"_You're a liar! I saw you blushing! Oh, how about you bring Red and I find a boyfriend and we can go on a double date? ; ) _"

Green clenched his theeth, crumpling the paper in his hands.

"Shut the fuc-" He stopped dead mid-sentence, realizing the rest of the class had turned their attention towards him. Leaf bit her lip, her entire body shaking from laughter.

"Is there something you'd like to tell us, Mr. Oak?" The teacher gave him a cold glare.

"Nope. I'm fine."

"Good. Then I'll be seeing you in detention this afternoon. Understood?"

"Yep."

As the teacher turned her back, he scribbled down one last responce and tossed the paper back at Leaf.

"_I fucking hate you._"

**NewBarkShipping**

"Psst! Kris! Kris!" Ethan hissed, jabbing the blunette in the back with the butt of his pencil. She did her best to ignore him and continued working on her homework.

"Krisssss!" He repeated, leaning forward in his desk. She slammed her pencil on her desk, finally tired of it.

"What?" She snapped, whirling around in her desk.

"What did you get for number three?"

"I'm not telling you!"

"Aww, come on! Please?" Ethan pouted, "You're my girlfriend. If you really loved me, you'd tell me the answer."

"If you really loved me, you'd shut up and stop being annoying. Let me finish my homework."

"Fine," Ethan sighed, planting his elbows on the desk and propping his head up, "There's on thing I don't understand, though."

Kris sighed. "What?"

What's the answer for number three?"

**FranticShipping**

Ruby grumbled, huddling into his jacket. Sapphire had dragged him along to the football game, much to his discontent. At first, he'd managed to find some entertainment in watching the cheerleaders, but even that had become painfully boring. The freezing cold didn't help, either.

Sapph, on the other hand, was leaning against the railing, shouting about as loud as she possibly could at the team. Deciding to try to at least get her attention, Ruby got up and stood next to her.

"So, what's even going on?" He asked, practically shouting to be heard over the crowd's cheering. Sapphire either ignored him or didn't hear, leaning even further over the railing.

"_GO, GO, GO, GO_!" She screamed, standing on her toes and leaning so far over the rail that she looked like she'd fall over it at any second. Ruby sighed, wondering what was even going on.

The crowd behind them broke into a chorus of cheers.

"What? What happened?"

"We won! We won!" Sapph shouted, tossing her arms around Ruby and-in a moment of pure excitement-planting a kiss right on his mouth. As she pulled away, he just stared blankly at her, mouth hanging open in shock.

Maybe football wasn't that bad.

**FortuneShipping**

_Alright, Kouki, it's now or never. Just ask. She's not gonna bite your head off or anything-just ask her._

Taking a deep breath, Kouki forced himself to walk towards Hikari's locker; she was busy peering inside, searching for the right book. She barely noticed as her friend walked up behind her.

_Okay. She's not even looking. No need to be nervous. What's the worst that can happen? Just ask. _

"U-uh, Hikari..." Kouki began, feeling so nervous he could jump out of his skin at any second, "I was wondering... w-well..."

"Sorry, what was that, Kouki?" Hikari turned, glancing back at her friend, "I was distracted."

_No no no, don't look at me! I'll never be able to ask-I can't look her in the eye. Oh Arceus. Hikari, why do you have to look so pretty?_ He jerked his head aside, his face suddenly flushing with color. _No, no, I practiced this. Just ask. Spit it out!_

"W-Well, uh, about that dance... y-you know, the one tomorrow..."

"Uh-huh...?" Hikari responded expectantly, "What about it?"

"W-would you-" Kouki paused, taking a deep breath, "_Wouldyouliketogowithme?_"

Hikari pressed her hands against her mouth, trying to stifle a giggle.

Oooh, no no she's laughing at me. Dear Arceus why? He buried his face in his scarf, wishing he could fall over and die right there.

"Of course, Kouki!"

"I-What?!"

"Yes. I've been waiting all week for you to ask me-it was obvious you were going to. Heck, I was getting ready to ask you myself!"

Kouki just stared back at her, feeling like he was practically flying.

_I guess asking her was a good idea, after all..._


	17. Siblings

_I've updated again! It's a Christmas Miracle! _

* * *

**ConflictingShipping**

Leaf leaned against Green, her fingers trailling through his hair as they kissed. Their feet caught and Green stumbled back. They landed on the couch with Leaf sprawled out on top. He broke the kiss, flashing her a grin-

And the door swung open. Both jumped, scrambling to sit up in a fury of tangled limbs and rufled hair; in strode Fire, who plopped down on the couch between the two and kicked his feet up on the nearest surface. After a pause, he turned and shot a smug look at a very flustered Leaf.

"Not interrupting anything, am I, sis?"

**HoennShipping **

Brendan tapped his foot, waiting for May to open the door. After a minute, the door swung open to reveal a little girl, probably no more than eight, with a strong resemblance to her older sister. With a sigh, he knelt down to her height.

"Hey, is your sister around?"

The little girl nodded, "She's getting ready. Come in!"

Brendan allowed her to lead him inside and leaned against the kitchen counter while she ran towards the stairs to call her sister.

"Maaa-aaaay!" She piped, "Big bro is here!"

"Big bro?" Brendan laughed, "Am I really here that often?"

May's sister looked at him with the most serious expression he'd even seen on a child and said, "Nuh-uh, but you are sissy are gonna get married someday, so I wanna practice."

Brendan sputtered, nearly choking on thin air.

**TwinleafShipping**

Dawn slipped through the front door, hoping that no one had noticed she'd been out long past midnight; as usual, Barry had sprung on her last minute and insisted they go on a date, which resulted in her falling asleep and waking up once Barry had carried her back home. Creeping through the living room, she was shocked to find her brother sitting on the sofa, flipping through TV channels.

"Wow, you seem surprised. Did you forget I live here?" Lucas said, shooting his sister a grin.

"Well unless staying up until one AM is normal for you, I didn't forget anything."

He just laughed and asked, "So, what, where were you? Out on a hot date or something?" Dawn's face turned bright pink, earning another laugh from her elder sibling.

"I'll take that as a yes?"

"S-shut up," she sputtered, "Barry just-"

"_Oh,_ now I see-"

Dawn didn't let him finish; she stalked away and darted upstairs before he could.

"_Someone's_ embarassed."

**LiveCasterShipping**

"Sis, get the door!" Rosa shouted from upstairs as the doorbell rang throughout the house. Hilda groaned, shuffling over and answering the door. Outside was a young man, blonde-and-green-dyed hair hidden under a cap.

"So, you're that Curtis guy, huh?" She asked, propping her hands on her hips and looking over him. He smiled brightly.

"Sure am. Nice to meet you-"

"Okay, enough with the small talk, let me cut to the chase," Hilda interrupted, "If you even think about breaking my sister's heart, I will personally break you. Got it?"

Curtis' expression turned to astonishment in a split second. "Y-Yeah-I mean-I-I wouldn't-"

His stuttering was cut off as Rosa bounded downstairs and pushed past her sister.

"Ready to go?" Rosa asked, taking him by the arm. Curtis nodded meekly, to which Rosa responded by glaring at her elder sister. "What did you say?"

"Not to make you cry. Ciao. Ta-ta. Have a wonderful evening, kids," Hilda laughed, closing the door in their faces.

"Your sister is... uh..." Curtis muttered.

"Trust me, I know."


	18. Little Details

_Again, Merry Christmas (even though it's long over for most of the world)! This was a gift for one of my friends, and I hope you guys enjoy it, too._

* * *

Jun was never very detail-oriented. In fact, he didn't pay attention to much most of the time; there was always a bigger picture to focus on, the little stuff barely mattered to him.

And yet lately all he'd been noticing were small, little things. Especially about Hikari. Which was, he decided, really annoying-all it did was distract him. The last thing he wanted to worry about was every stupid little thing about Hikari when he was trying to battle or something. Plus it was stupid, since they'd been best friends for about as long as Jun could remember, and all of this stuff (that he didn't care about, he'd remind himself) was just occurring to him now.

For instance, he _didn't_ care about how she was always so gentle, no matter how mad she was, like whenever Jun would do something reckless and get into trouble. She would always scold him for being stupid but help pick up the pieces anyway. Or how she always acted strong around people so they wouldn't worry about her (and Jun could tell when she was faking it, too, which was frustrating because he always got worried and, _again_, it was distracting.) Or how she could be so prideful and hated it when people looked down on her. Or how she was so calm and careful and smart about _everything_ even when something horrible was going on.

And Jun _definitely_ didn't care about how pretty Hikari suddenly seemed. (They were best friends, anyway, and nothing else, so it didn't matter. Obviously.) He did not care that her smile was so nice, or that she had a cute laugh, or how her cheeks puffed out when she was mad, or how she'd always look away or cover her face when she blushed, or-

Nope, he did not care _at all_.

(And even Jun knew he was lying, but maybe if he kept telling himself he didn't care he would stop noticing and stop making such a fool of himself so he could make her laugh or get her attention or _anything_ as long as she'd just be with him.)


	19. A Hero's Tale

_Ahaha, remember that time that I made a drabblefic and no one read it? And now it's updating? Yeah, me too._

_This was going to be longer then I got lazy whoops._

* * *

_You know, it's difficult to explain everything we've been through._

_There's so much to tell, we wouldn't know where to begin._

_Let's narrow it down to five words._

_Five different peices._

_If you overlap them, they'll tell you our stories._

_**FireRed**_

_1. Dreams_

I always wanted to be more than just myself.

Well, more like anything but myself.

How could I not? I was a loser. Some kid from Pallet Town with no real talents, nothing that could get me farther in life. My only friend became the bane of my existance when we were still little kids. I wanted something, anything to do that would get me far away.

Then the day came that Professor Oak made me an offer. He would give me a pokemon and I could leave on a journey if I took along a pokedex and filled it out as I went along. Of course I accepted. I would get to see the world, take on the gyms, go on to the league-it didn't matter how many times I lost, I would've still kept going and going if it meant proving I could do something.

So I took a pokemon, kissed my mother good-bye, and set out to become the champion.

_2. Rivalry_

I wasn't the only one who left on a journey that day.

Blue Oak, the professor's grandson, left on that day as well.

And, of course, his only goal appeared to be making my life miserable. He specifically picked the pokemon strong against mine, defeated me effortlessly in our first battle, and mocked me relentlessly whenever our paths met while we traveled.

Right up until the end, we fought like that. Even if I couldn't stand him at the time, I admit I never would have made it so far without him. Blue pushed me on; the constant challenge he posed drove me to become stronger.

And when the dust settled and our battle for the championship was over, I finally came out a winner.

_3. Hero_

To be honest, I never tried to become a "hero". I never really tried to take on Team Rocket like I did. I was just doing what I thought was right. Every time I stumbled on any Rockets, I'd battle them.

(Though it wasn't as if I really had much of a choice in the matter-it was either fight or have my pokemon stolen.)

Saffron City was a bit of a different story, though. I knew something needed to be done, and no one was doing it, so I took it into my own hands. Granted, that was a stupid choice, but I did it anyway.

When I defeated their leader and the team's members retreated, everyone called me a hero. I never corrected them, even if I didn't think it was true.

I mean, if everyone said so, then I must be a hero, right?

_4. Champion_

I worked hard for my title, that's sure.

Nothing came easy. There were plenty of gyms I had to rematch over and over again so I could progress onto the next once. There were times when my pokemon weren't strong enough and I had to run from a fight. There were times when I even considered turning back because I was so sure I wouldn't make it.

I had to remind myself why I was out here in the first place. I didn't want to be nobody forever. I wanted to be a champion, someone known, someone looked up to. I reminded myself because a true champion never quits.

And quit I didn't. I kept going right up until the final battle. I faced off against all of the gym leaders, all of the elite four, and the champion himself. I won all of them. I became exactly who I wanted to be.

_5. Endless_

I couldn't end it there.

I couldn't just go back home and live a normal, boring life after everything that happened.

I couldn't bear to end my journey for good.

My official championship was short-lived. I resigned a few days after my victory-being tied down to the Indigo Plateau proved to be too dull for me to bear. I packed up my pokemon and set out once again.

Since then, I've spent my time on Mt. Silver. The constantly changing environment and unpredictable weather still challenge me every day. I come down and visit around the region sometimes. Apparently, I've become something of a legend. I'm perfectly okay with that.

I've lived my dreams. I made my mark. I left behind my legacy.

_**HeartGold**_

_1. Shadow_

I used to live in the shadow of my friends.

How could I not? They were so accomplished compaired to me. Both of them had already been on journeys. They had tons of pokemon to their names, had conqured all or most of the gyms, and had gotten to see the world.

I wanted to step out of that shadow at the very least. I didn't have to be as sucessful, I didn't have to be a champion. I only had to win a few gym badges and maybe catch a few pokemon. I'd be satisfied with just that.

When Professor Elm offered me a pokemon, I jumped at the chance. I accepted without a single question and set off.

_2. Stronger_

I was never much of a fighter. Battles were hard for me to adjust to. At first, I kept holding back. I was afraid of hurting someone, or getting hurt myself. Most of my first battles were losses because of this.

Then, along came the redheaded theif. I just barely won in my first battle with him, and didn't realize that he'd stolen his pokemon until long after he was gone. After that, I decided to hunt him down and get the stolen pokemon back.

Every time we battled, I always just barely won like the first time. Every time I won, he called me weak, or a wimp, or some variation. Most people would brush it off, but I knew that he was right, to some degree. I was too weak to give it my all. It gave me the shove I needed to start putting everything on the line when I battled. In a sense, he's what made me a good trainer.

Apparently I returned the favor.

At first, it was obvious that he didn't care much for his pokemon. I suspected that he might have even abused them for a while. Every time we met up, I saw a little change.

A little less harshness.

A little more care.

The last time I saw him, he admitted to me that I caused that. Every time we met, he saw the way I treated my pokemon. He saw the concern I showed for them, and how we won every time. He decided that he should try the same, that there's no reason to hurt something that only helps you. I made him stronger, albeit in a different sort of way.

_3. Repeat_

"That trainer who defeated Team Rocket three years ago"

That's a phrase I became very familiar with while I traveled, to the point where I just felt like I was repeating this famous trainer's journey.

Sure, I beat Team Rocket along the way. Sure, I beat the gyms. But we were different. In fact, I feel like I did more. The Lake of Rage, the Radio Tower, the Slowpoke Well, and the Mahogany Town Headquarters-I defeated Team Rocket every time (with some help from Lance, I admit). I faced off against more grunts than I can count and beat every last one of the executives.

I was recognized by a legendary pokemon. I beat all of Johto's gyms, and all of Kanto's gyms. I became a champion, and kept my title. I did so much more-I wasn't repeating this oh-so-special trainer from three years ago, yet everyone said I was.

Suddenly I was back to living in someone's shadow.

_4. Face-off_

I don't know what I expected when I made it to the top of Mt. Silver. What I certainly didn't expect was oh-so-special himself. He knew me, it seemed, and of course I knew him. He didn't have to say a word to me, and yet I knew he wanted to test me. He seemed to think the same way I did: I did so much more than him, so we should see which of us is really the best trainer.

During the battle, the cold was unbearable. Somehow, my pokemon and I suffered through it, but just barely (like I seemed to do everything). Once we won, I reteated back into the cave, shivering and huddling myself into a ball to bring some warmth back into my body. He came in, running a hand through his hair in exasperation.

Again, he didn't need to say a thing. I understood; he was a legend. My victory would dethrone that, and he'd fade into being a nobody. People would talk about me and forget him, who would say here on his moutain like he had for who-knows-how-long. Just the thought of it made me guilty.

So I simply told everyone that I'd lost. He'd been so far ahead of me that I hadn't had the slightest hope of winning. I kept his legacy going and visited him every now and again-as long as the rest of the world knew he was there, he seemed content.

I remembered then that I didn't need to be famous, well-known, or the same legend that he was. The reason I set out was much simpler, and I'd accomplished it without realizing.

_5. Unwinding_

My journey had come to an end and life had begun to return to normal. I returned home to New Bark and remained Kanto/Johto champion. I'd head to the league whenever there was a new challenger and occasionally spend a few days traveling around for the sake of getting out for a while. I'd vist Mr. Oh-so-special sometimes. It was a simple routine, and I was fine with it-after all, I set out to step out of my friends' shadows, and that I did.

Sure, I may live in another shadow these days, but it's one I'm perfectly fine with.

_**Emerald**_

_1. Dissatisfaction_

What can I say? Life wasn't going the way I wanted it to, so I took things into my own hands.

I was uprooted from my home and moved thousands of miles away. Somehow I spoke to my father less, even though we were psyically closer. Even if hadn't stumbled on Professor Birch that day, I probably still would have figured out a way to get a pokemon and bail.

In short, the oppertuinty presented itself and I took it. Just a few hours after moving in, I was already gone.

_2. Weaknesses_

I always used to think I was strong. That I didn't need anyone, and I wouldn't need anyone. I could get by on my own with no help, no problems. I was a solo player. A lone wolf. Just me, myself, and I. (And my pokemon, but that's not relevant.) Sure, I had friends before, but I was just as fine without them.

And then those two came along.

The first was Wally. I didn't think much of him when we met. He was a sickly kid who wanted a pokemon-no big deal. I helped him catch a Ralts and he was off. We met up more and more, and I realized that he was actually cooler than I first thought. He kept fighting, even if he knew he couldn't win. Against me and against his illness. He kept pushing on, and it encouraged me to do the same. Somewhere along the line I decided I liked him and that we were friends.

Then there was May. My first thought was that she was the most annoying thing on the face of the planet. Heck, sometimes I still do. Despite that, though, she's still bright and almost motherly. She showed me what to do-to be honest, half of the time I had no clue-and helped me out along my way. I would have crashed and burned if she hadn't helped. (I hope you caught that, because I'm never saying it again.)

I don't know why, but I did need them. I needed to be around them, to see them happy and know that they were safe. At first I kicked myself for it-I did not need close friends to hold me down. As I went on, I accepted it. Begrudgingly, but accepted nonetheless. I could try to stay an island, but when it came down to it, I couldn't keep it up. I had a weak spot for the both of them.

I'll admit it: I needed help, and those two gave it to me.

_3. Conflict_

Somewhere along the way I got caught in the middle of a gang war.

(What else am I supposed to call it?)

Okay, not a "gang war", per say, but I got caught between Team Aqua and Magma's idiotic fights. Each time I ran into one or the other, I kicked their butts and they assumed I was fighting for the other side. (I wasn't, of course. Both of their plans were stupid beyond belief.) Sometimes they'd try to sway me to one side or the other, but I stayed firm.

Both of them needed to be stopped, otherwise one would bring about the end of the world. I'm proud to say that I was the one that stopped them. Half of the region was engulfed in flash-flood-inducing rainfall, the other half about to be burnt to a crisp from blazing sunlight. Through all of that, I managed to get to the Sky Pillar and awaken Rayquayza.

Kyogyre and Groudon, the pokemon that had caused that extreme weather, both retreated and returned to their however-many-thousand-years sleep. Suddenly I was a big-shot that saved the world, and I happily accepted that title.

_4. Show-off_

Let's not forget that I defeated all of the gyms along the way. None of them were very hard for me, either. With every victory, I'd get a new badge and just a little bigger head. I admit that I got kind of cocky along the way. I became so confident that I felt like I could take anyone on, no problem.

Well, I was sure as hell wrong about that. I took on the Elite Four with that attitude. I got creamed-didn't even make it to the champion. My pride definitely took a hit. I figured there was some mistake, so I tried again. I lost again.

It took May to (literally) slap some sense into me. That definitely gave me a little humility. It reminded me that if I run into things like I'm never going to loose, then I will loose. She made me try again now that my cocky attitude had been shot and I knew I could loose. I was more careful and really, truly gave it my all.

The second I stopped being a show-off, I won.

_5. Content_

So I won, escaped my boring life, became a big-shot, and... what? Once everything was over, I didn't really know what to do. There wasn't anything left for me to do, so I went back home and actually stayed there for the first time. I still travel now and again, still battle plenty and, according to my friends, still act like a cocky jerk from time to time. I'm still the champion, too. As dull as it seems, I'm fine with it.

Unlike when I started my jounrey, I managed to become contented with my life. At peace in a way. Honestly... happy.

_**Platinum**_

_1. Wanderlust _

Never once in my life had I left my hometown.

Alright, that's a bit of an exaggeration. I'd visit the next town over sometimes to run an errand for my mom, or head down to the lake with my friend, but I'd never really traveled. I couldn't stand it, either. With every passing year, I knew there was more out there, more that I wanted to see.

Then my best friend turned up at my house with a ridiculous plan for us to get pokemon. Normally, I might have told him to go away-usually his plans ended up with both of us in trouble. Between the fact that this plan just might workd and my ever-growing wanderlust, I went along with it. If I could get out of Twinleaf town, I was willing to tag along.

We were lucky that it did work out for us. I'm still convinced that if one of us had said just one thing wrong, Professor Rowan would have never given us our pokemon. Yet we did, and we set out on our journeys right away.

_2. Mentor_

Truthfully, I had no idea what I was doing. Honestly, I'd barely ever been so much as around pokemon before. I didn't have much of an interest in it-the only things I did know were from my best friend's long-winded babbling about it. I was at a loss when I first started. In a sense, I owe all of my success to the people who taught me what to do.

Everyone along the way helped me a little, I think.

There are just a few of them who had a bigger influence than the others.

The first one was that best friend of mine, Barry. Between all the time he was impulsive and hot-headed-no, strike that, there isn't really an in-between. It's a nonstop sort of thing, but you get used it-he did help me a lot. I didn't even know how battles worked until he challenged me for the first time. Along the way, he'd always insist on training together for a short time, battling against each other so we could both get better.

Second, there was Lucas, Professor Rowan's assistant. He was more responsible for the teaching part. He was the one who actually explained to me how to be a trainer, how to catch a pokemon, and told me about the gyms and the league. Who knows what might have happened if he hadn't?

There were plenty of others, too; Professor Rowan, Cynthia, all of the gym leaders. Everyone, along the way, taught me just a little more about my journey and battling and the world. The only reason I made it as far as I did was simply because everyone around me acted as my mentor.

_3. __Courage_

I must have been fearless, they all say, to do what I did.

At this point, all I can do is laugh when I hear things like that. Fearless is one of thousands of things I'm not. All the terror I experienced could probably add up to a lifetime's worth. There were times when I had to constantly fight back tears I was so afraid. (I faced the end of the world. When it came down to it, I was forced to do it alone. Of course I was afraid.)

It wasn't fearlessness that got me through it, but courage. (That sounds a bit big-headed, doesn't it? Allow me to explain:) See, I think courage is being able to face your fears, to stand up even though you're afraid, and I can guarentee I was more than afraid in all of those crucial moments.

Basically, in a moment you think is imminent death (and, trust me, entering the Distortion World felt that way) everything sort of snaps into perspective. You think of your loved ones, the friends and family you'd leave behind. It was right around then that I realized that if I didn't fight, they'd all be gone. That world I'd wanted so badly to go out and see would be ripped to bits. Yet, if I were to go on, there would be the chance that I didn't come back; the people I loved would never see me again, and I'd never see them; I'd never get to see the world.

That was the moment I broke down. I finally gave in and let the tears roll. I'm not proud to admit it, either. I insisted that there had to be another way, that Cynthia could possibly do it alone. (It was selfish, I know, and looking back on it, I'm not proud of that either.) She told me that, if I honestly didn't want to I didn't have to, but she wasn't sure if she could defeat Cyrus.

Somehow I pulled myself together. Somehow I went through that portal, knowing that I might not come back.

And somehow I did it. Somehow I made my way back home and assured my family and friends I was safe and sound.

Even now, that complete and total terror isn't quite gone. It shows up in nightmares and keeps me awake, running through scenarios of "what-might-have-happened" and "what-if". And somehow I muster up the courage to face it and keep going on.

_4. Accident_

I said it before and I'll say it again: the only reason I left was because I wanted to travel. I didn't want to have anything to do with this trainer buisness, all the battling and competition. I just got sucked into it. The first gym battle happened because Barry insisted I try. (By insisted, I mean he kept telling me to go challenge the gym for at least an hour until I finally gave in.) The next was because the professor suggested it would be good for the pokedex. By the third, I was beginning to enjoy it.

I sort of stumbled my way through all of the battles. It felt like I was winning on accident; I tried to come up with strategies and plans. Most of the time the didn't follow through quite right, but somehow they still earned me the victory in an unexpected sort of way. It wasn't that I didn't know what I was doing, but more like I didn't do it right. (It's one thing to learn how to do something and another to actually do it.)

I lucked my way into the league, past the elite four, and wound up beating the champion. (Well, I guess it's not really luck, but it sure seemed that way.) I still feel like it was pure accident I made it this far, and I still feel like someone else deserved that championship.

_5. Traveler_

I kind of lost sight of what I'd set out to do along the way, but wound up doing it anyway. I'd been farther than almost everyone, all around the region and to almost every city. It still didn't feel like enough. I still knew-maybe I knew even more than before-that there was so much more out there. I saved the world, so shouldn't I get to see it?

I resigned the championship (tying myself down to the league would be the opposite of what I wanted) and set out again. What can I say? I'm a traveler, when it comes down to it.


End file.
